


a hermit at the market

by Snokoms



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cora is not okay, Derek is very worried, Gen, Hermit Stiles Stilinski, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Nydyla is a good girl, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski is Not Part of the Pack, scarred Stiles Stilinski, she is the best girl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:46:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23229589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snokoms/pseuds/Snokoms
Summary: cora isnt doing so well and derek is running out of optionsstiles? well, stiles hair is just fabulous
Relationships: Cora Hale & Derek Hale, Cora Hale & Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 34
Kudos: 105





	1. Chapter 1

There is a house hidden in the forest. It is built near a group of youngish trees that made nice with the owner and the building. Wrapping branches around and shielding it from the sun with their leaves.

Some say it has been there long enough to become one with the forest.

Other say it has doesn’t exit at all. And that the inhabitant lives somewhere else. Somewhere more plausible. Like a cave.

The house is surrounded by fields of crops and herbs. Although the owner likes to shake things up every once in a while, and plant things further away.

He is built lean and agile, hours working outside giving him iron muscles. His hair a dark brown and long enough to be held in a bun. The nymphs like to artfully braid it when they get him to stay for a little longer.

You can find him at the farmers market most weekends. Where he sells everything he has extra, and buys everything he has not.

It is the only day in the week in which he allows himself to talk to outsiders. For humans, wolves and others have broken his trust before, and with it, almost broken him.

To the supernatural world he is known as a healer, a fixer. A man with a lot of knowledge and quick-thinking mind. The boy who ran with wolves. “Find the market.” They say. “Look for a spark of whiskey.” They whisper. “Be honest.” They murmur. “For lies will not be tolerated.”

To the humans of the town he is known as a hermit, a creep, a stranger. They warn their kids not to get too close to the scarred man. For fear he will steal their children. He doesn’t want their children. They just whine about his lack of internet.

It is on one of these days that a man steps in front of his stand at the market. Wearing combat boots, jeans on the tight side of comfortable, a soft looking green sweater and black leather jacket. Mussed raven black hair and soft looking beard. His eyes are filled with surprise and wonder. With awe. 

His lips part and a soft breathed “Stiles” escapes his lungs. Reaching the other’s ears.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i'm gonna be honest. I wasn't planning on continuing this one.  
> However this got stuck in my head today so i though way not?

The body in front up him tensed up, hands that were previously sorting herbs into piles stopped moving for a second. Whiskey coloured eyes slowly raised upwards to meet green ones.

“Derek.”

The voice was colder than he remembered. Void of any inflictions. No longer was there the excitement that often came with the rambles of strange topics. No longer was the enticing tilt when the genius was figuring something out. No longer was the ever-present sarcasm there, the one that never seemed to go away completely.

Gulping he stared into Stiles’ eyes. Eyes he hadn’t seen in years.

“How are you?”

When he didn’t get any vocal nor any physical reaction his hands became sweaty. Stiles always moved. It was natures law.  
Stiles is smart. Stiles never holds still. Stiles is part sarcasm.

Two of those were gone already. _He hoped the third wasn’t too._

Scratching with his left hand behind his head he let out a nervous chuckle. Unable to walk away and look for the spark he came here for he searched for something to say to his ~~_pack mate_~~ , ~~_friend_~~ , ~~_former pack mate_~~ , acquaintance.

His acquaintance blinked.

“Is there anything I can help you with? The rosemary-honey blend can be quite soothing at night while I find the blackberry with white jasmine to be more pleasant in the morning.”

Pointing at several small packages which contained said herbs Stiles voice took a more pleasant yet impersonal tone. Never acknowledging their background and instead treating him like any other possible buyer.

Derek’s heart broke a little then and there.

This wasn’t the boy he remembered. The one who looked monsters in the eye and laughed in their face. This wasn’t the boy who held him up in a swimming pool for three hours. The boy who held him after Boyd-Erica-almost-Cora’s death.

What the hell had happened since they last saw each other?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no knowledge of herbs and i was to lazy to google them  
> so just imagine that the rosemary-honey one can help one relax and sleep and that the BlackBerry white jasmin one works like coffee, only then in tea form


	3. Chapter 3

He knew something was going to happen today. His gut was churning the moment the sun made its presence known. He had almost stayed home, if it wasn’t for the salve he had promised Ms Verda for her bad knee. If it wasn’t for the fingerless gloves she promised in return. His own were frayed to the seam and with the days getting colder as winter came closer….

He needed those gloves.

So he went to the market like most weekends. Gathered all his goods on the kart and let Nydyla pull it along. It was a good thing all the kids loved the horse and were scared enough of him not to mess with her. He didn’t mean to frighten them, he just didn’t like it when people messed with her. Then again, they always came back.

The longer he stood there, the more his stomach churned. His spark roaming nervously through his body, making his fingers tingle.

It wasn’t until later, when he had dropped his guard a little after waiting so long for the other shoe to drop that he heard that oh so familiar voice say his name.

Something withered in him right then and there.

Why did it have to be Derek who found him first?


	4. Chapter 4

This wasn’t how today was supposed to go.

Ever since his sister had gotten sick under Not So Natural Cora What Did You Do circumstances, his life had turned into that unfortunately familiar feeling of dread and fear that used to be his constant. 

Oh how he had not missed this. 

They had visited druids and witches, warlocks and herbalists, older and newer packs, emissarys and had even asked that darach they stumbled upon that one time. 

They were all useless.

And his sister was slowly fading away.

Derek was running out of time.

So he followed the whispers. He had heard the stories at multiple places by now, but no one was quite sure where this spark resided. Which made sense, since sparks were supposed to be myths. It would only be right that the location of said myth was as non-existent as afore mentioned spark.

At least it was until a small kit with unevenly patched fur had told him that a market next to the Miranku forest held a merchant who had given her some tea that had cured her bones, for she was born from a starving mother. The kit didn’t now the exact location since she travelled a lot fully shifted, and how someone could let such a small child travel alone was a myster- right. Dead mom. 

So he had bundled his sister up in a blanket while ignoring all her requests and objections and starting scouring all the markets.

Who ever told you markets were a thing of the past was sorely mistaken.

It had taken him twenty-eight tries before he had found Stiles and he wasn’t even looking for Stiles. He was just about ready to give up when he remembered the boys, no, mans nick for finding things. 

Even a look at what the others had told him about his little sister and the location of this myth would be of help.

_Even if it meant dragging the human back into this word after he had made sure that he was out._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> does anyone have any suggestions for Cora? 
> 
> cause im open for suggestions


	5. Chapter 5

He had not even been looking for him. Nine years since they had last seen each other, seven since he had left Beacon Hills and the man had not even been looking for him.

But he did ask for his help.

Because of course he did.

Standing stoically with fire burning in his belly Stiles listened to Derek’s story. How Cora’s unfortunate situation had come to being. How no one seemed quite sure what happened, or how to reverse the situation. How no one seemed to be able to help. 

How they had been chasing a myth.

How they had been chasing him.

Ironic, isn’t it?

When the story was finished he looked the man in eye, long and hard. Seeing the big bad wolf squirm under his scrutiny eased something in him he didn’t know was there.

Unsure whether he could trust the were or not he asked the only thing he could think of: “Why should I help?”


	6. Chapter 6

Derek gulped and looked down at his feet, Stiles had no reason to help him, but this was his sister. He would move mountains for her.

So that was exactly what he told the man. 

How much his sister meant to him. How amazing she was. How much he loved her.

To Stiles it felt like being ripped in half.

Hearing the man talk so freely of his feelings. Of his life the past few years. It only drove home how much he was not missed. How much he was not needed. 

How feeble his hope had been in the man ever returning to _~~him~~_ Beacon Hills when he was still there. When he still had hope.

But Cora was not Derek, and even if she was, he would still not turn his back on those who needed him.

Doesn’t mean he wasn’t going to let _~~Derek~~_ them work for it.

So he stayed silent. Watched as Derek continued talking until it dissolved into rambling. Listened to is bare explanation of what happened to his sister and how they had searched and searched and searched.

Kept staring even as the talking came to a stuttering halt when Derek asked for his help finding this spark. Kept staring when he was asked to help chase down _~~himself~~_ another myth.

Kept staring as Derek became more and more nervous. Twitching on the spot while the fortitude in the wolf’s shoulder slowly dwindled down until they were almost hanging, and eyes were staring at the stones keeping him from the earth below.

And then waited just a little longer.

“Bring her here before four and I’ll take a look.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes the chapter counts says 7/7
> 
> yes it said 6/6 and 5/5 and so fort on every chapter so far
> 
> no im not adding a question mark
> 
> why? 
> 
> because me and that question mark are currently not on speaking terms
> 
> does that mean that this is the last chapter?
> 
> no, no it does not

That Derek was confused was a vast understatement.

How was bringing his little sister to Stiles supposed to help the man find the Spark? Then again, he never outright said he was going to help…. However, if he wasn’t going to help, then why did he need to bring his little sister?

He was so deep in thought he did not notice the other people behind stands looking at him. Did not notice when some of the kids started to follow him. It was not like the parking lot was private terrain, they had every reason to go the same way.

He almost noticed it when he turned the engine and saw a group of kids staring straight at him.

He almost noticed it when he returned with Cora in tow and the kids popped up like daisies in spring all around him.

Cora would have noticed if she was not being so busy staying conscious.

Stiles made a mental note to bake some sweet buns for the kids next week.


	8. Chapter 8

When Cora woke up she was sitting outside in what felt like a chair but could have literally been anything else with a pair of familiar-unfamiliar whiskey eyes staring at her from close distance. 

If she wasn’t already propped up against something she would fallen over when she leant back.

The eyes blinked.

“Welcome back to the land of the living miss Hale.”

Cora blinked.

Did they just call her…?

The eyes turned away.

She swore she could hear voices around her but none of them made words. 

The world was still turning.

Like it had been turning for months now. It did seem to be turning a little different though. Her opinion on whether this was a good different or a bad different was still in the making. 

She wondered what pretty eyes had done to her.

The next time she opened her eyes a wooden ceiling greeted her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what would one buy at such a market...?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> give a thanks to IrisEvergreen for her suggestions!

Derek did not like this. 

Derek did not like this one bit.

He had brought Cora back to Stiles as instructed, had carefully set her down on the chair he was being pointed to. Only to be shooed away to search for someone named Ms Wilson, armed with jars and what looked like a grocery list. 

Derek did not agree.

Derek did not get a choice.

Derek _did_ want to stay in Stiles’ good graces, so he did what was asked of him. When he asked where he could find the products on the list however, he was sent every which way, and none of them were the right one.

Derek scowled.

He did not like this.

He did not like this one bit.

What he liked even less was that upon finally returning with the assembled items, Stiles had simply pointed at the kart while continuously saying that he needed to be _careful with them Derek_. 

He could be careful.

He could not be careful when the next thing that came out of Stiles’ mouth was that he was taking Cora with him so he could keep a closer eye on her, and would bring her back when she was ready to.


	10. Chapter 10

Cool hands drawing intricate lines in skin, leaving heated lines.

A rainbow of colours swirling all around.

Refracted light shining in glazed eyes. 

Whispers in more languages then she knew existed carried by the wind.

Whiskey eyes like the sunset blinking from above.

Someone is singing.

It sounds like chanting.

Darkness takes over.


End file.
